unspun


The view from INSIDE PR


Upfront approach wins over rail strike critics


P


robation in any job is that chance to ease into your role, get your feet under the table and show you


are competent enough to be kept on. Well, what better way to show that as


the new RMT press officer than to be the sole media contact for an organisation that launches the first national rail strike in over 30 years? It would have been easy to have been


intimidated but I knew a mixture of my nearly 10 years’ experience, sheer bloody-mindedness and some luck would yield a positive outcome. In some ways, the pressure was off. Being a union press officer for perhaps the most militant outfit in the country means no one expects positive coverage. I was aware that the phrase ‘no one


likes us, and we don’t care’ had been associated with the union. It’s not a bad starting point for a union – to be tough, resilient and up for a fight. But in public relations you have to care about the full spectrum of opinion and how it impacts your organisation. The RMT had established an


impressive media profile under the late Bob Crow and a grudging respect among its detractors. I knew, though, that the heat would be turned up considerably as national strikes are rare and many


20 | theJournalist


newspaper editors would be wanting to take the union down a few pegs. During the balloting period, I was getting a lot of name recognition for RMT coverage but very little of it was positive. While everyone had a thick skin, two weeks before our first day of action, I wasn’t happy with our approach. We were in a defensive and reactive posture. I would spend my day rebutting attacks from industry and the government. You’d have to read to the end of a 400-word piece to find a snippet from us. Apart from social media, we were not getting our key messages out to the public and this had to change. I’ve always believed that in comms, politics and life, you must find a way to your front foot, not be under siege. My assessment was we had some solid public messaging but we needed to deploy our secret weapon to deliver them. Enter stage left Mick Lynch. I’d seen how unfazed and


agile he was in interviews on other matters. So I thought we must own our decision to strike, create a spectacle and make journalists come to us because we were the story.


I suggested a rough-and-ready press conference outside our HQ – with Lynch fielding questions from journalists I invited. This way, people got to see an articulate, working-class union leader speak plainly, ducking no questions and clearly setting out the union’s position. It was clear he was going to be in


demand. So I invited every major broadcaster to a picket line where he would be for an hour the next day. I wanted a broadcast blitz that would swamp the airwaves so the rail industry and government couldn’t easily respond.


Because he stood up to aggressive


and at times bizarre questioning and showed calm self-assurance, Lynch proved popular on social media. People not only agreed with some of our messages but also warmed to the calm, professional manner in which they were delivered. Some of the stats went way above what anyone could have expected, with #MickLynch being viewed nine million times on TikTok. It was easily the most accomplished


and challenging week I’ve had in communications. We punched well above our weight. It proves that to succeed in the media, you need capable, informed spokespeople, clear messaging the public will relate to and zero fear in challenging opponents who, on the face of it, are far more powerful and well resourced than you are. With polling showing increased


support for the strike after the three days’ disruption, we not only influenced the ‘don’t knows’ but also passed the ‘person in the street’ test. I have had multiple people tell me they had overheard positive comments about RMT and Lynch on buses, in pubs and in other public spaces. The best sign of any success is


when your natural critics start praising you. We’ve had positive articles in the Spectator, praise from Alastair Campbell saying we had won the media war, and Andrew Marr said Mick Lynch was the most effective communicator in the country. The purpose of union comms is to help win disputes. We had a great first week, increasing public support, keeping members motivated and sending the government and the rail industry into a tailspin. Can it be sustained? Only time will tell. But we have set the cat among the pigeons.


MARK THOMAS


Name: John Millington


Job description: RMT press officer and NUJ national executive council member


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